Thank you, scholarship evaluators!

scholarship evaluators

Each year, the Kent Community Foundation awards at least 14 scholarships, drawing dozens of applications from students in the Kent School District area. (Students who are homeschooled or attending private school are also eligible.) It takes a village to thoroughly review each scholarship application and select the recipients for each academic year. We have a team of volunteers who are passionate about education to help us do that.

Each scholarship has its own scholarship review committee, led by a committee chair. Now that this scholarship season is behind us, we want to take a moment to thank the dozens of scholarship evaluators who helped select this year’s winners.

KENT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS

Audrey Rose Sells Scholarship

Carolyn Tolas (chair)
Alan Sells
Heidi Dearborn

Diego Moreno Scholarship

Kim Walley (chair)
Lizzie Lee
Shelly Moreno

Alejandra Moreno

Gary Carpenter Scholarship

Brenda Farwell (chair)
Vicki Nelson
Jordan Straughan
Gary Allen
Carolyn Tolas

Gail Gese Memorial Scholarship

Cathy Wahlin (chair)
Erika Hanson
Leigh-Ann Lunde

Jan Louise Quitoriano

Brenda Farwell (chair)
David Radford
Betsy Schelien
Lester Quitoriana

Jim McGinnis Scholarship

Lori Paxton (chair)
Dana Ralph
Elisa Aguayo Munoz
Deborah Drake

Johnson/Stoddard/Osness Scholarship

Dee Klem (chair)
Jim Osness
Sara Novion
Christine Sellers

“With all of the negative things that are on the news and going on in the world, being a scholarship evaluator gives me a great deal of hope for the future of our young people. I am always in awe of the amazing things the students are accomplishing, the goals they are setting, and the contributions they want to make. Doing this is special to me as I started doing so with my father-in-law at his request. He is no longer able to be an evaluator, so I am doing it in his honor.”
~ Christine Sellers

Christine Sellers

Kent Chamber of Commerce Scholarship

Lori Paxton (chair)
Zenovia Harris
Kent Chamber Intern

Linda Ruby Scholarship

Lori Paxton (chair)
Earle Ruby
Jen Wu
Jill Hoepfinger

Mike Simmons Scholarship

Dee Klem (chair)
Christine Simmons
JP Frame
Wade Barringer

Pat Butler Scholarship

Jordan Straughan (chair)
Ted Butler
Kim Walley
Carolyn Tolas

Richard and Ina Balash (RIB) Scholarship

Cathy Wahlin (chair)
Ina Balash
Jessica Hall
Dana Neuts

Ron Osborne Scholarship

Dee Klem (chair)
Ron Ness
Lisa Kelly

Thunderbird Community Sports Foundation

Brenda Farwell (chair)
Steve Klem
Han Kirkland

KENT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP PARTNERS

Kent Area PTSA

Jenny Shaw
Jennifer Richie
Joel Shaw

Kent Schools Foundation – Emiko Craig

Allyson Johnson
Corine LaVerne
Vivian Kauth

Rotary Club Sunrise Kent

Tray Svenson
Dave Mitchell

Rotary Club of Kent

Kim Walley
Jordan Straughan

Andy Carter

Hilary Okrant-Grilley

Jeff Arnold

Julie Shott

Valley Girls & Guys

Tina McDonough

Kent Community Foundation Now Accepting College Scholarship Applications for 2024-25 Academic Year

The Kent Community Foundation is now accepting college scholarship applications for the 2024-25 academic year. Applications can be submitted online on the Kent Community Foundation website. The deadline for applications is Mar. 22, 2024. The Foundation has been offering scholarships since 1988, growing their donor and scholarship base ever since.

Continuing the tradition, the Kent Community Foundation offers scholarships to greater Kent area high school seniors. After a spring application process, the Foundation’s Scholarship Committees select scholarships recipients based on specific criteria. Students receive the awards at a special May scholarship awards celebration, done in partnership with other local organizations including Rotary Club of Kent, Kent Sunrise Rotary, Kent Area PTSA Council, Valley Girls & Guys, and Kent Schools Foundation.

The Foundation now facilitates 14 scholarships, each with its own set of qualifications for eligibility and criteria for selection.

  • Audrey Rose Sells Scholarship
  • Diego Moreno Scholarship
  • Gail Gese Memorial Fund Scholarship
  • Gary Carpenter Scholarship
  • Jan Louise Quitoriano Memorial Scholarship
  • Jim McGinnis Scholarship for KM Grads
  • Johnson-Stoddard-Osness Family Scholarship
  • Kent Chamber of Commerce Scholarship
  • Mike Simmons Memorial Scholarship
  • Linda Ruby Scholarship
  • Pat Butler Scholarship
  • Rob Osborne Scholarship
  • Richard and Ina Balash Scholarship
  • Thunderbird Community Sports Foundation Scholarship


Applicants interested in applying for a scholarship through one of the Foundation’s community partners – Rotary Club of Kent, Kent Sunrise Rotary, Kent Area PTSA Council, Valley Girls & Guys and Kent Schools Foundation – can learn more about their scholarships here.


To apply for any of these scholarships, applicants can visit the online scholarship portal below. If it is their first time applying, they first need to create a free account. If they have applied before, they will need to log in to their existing account. Students will complete an eligibility quiz to show students which scholarships they qualify for. Deadline to apply is Mar. 22, 2024.


Please contact the Kent Community Foundation with questions or for more information.